Conference Venues – Working Out What your Audience Need

Hiring out a venue for a conference is a big commitment for any business as you will have to cater to many different needs and requirements. Finding a venue that caters to every single one will be a challenge, so you might have to prioritise; some needs, like accessibility, will be more important than all others. Conference venues in Birmingham tend to be very well equipped for audiences of all sizes, and can offer you modern, spacious facilities with plenty of different options. There will be the perfect conference venue for you and your requirements in the Birmingham area, as long as you give yourself plenty of time to find the best options for you.

The biggest challenge for any conference organiser is working out what delegates need, and what delegates want. These are actually two very different things – both are important, especially if you are using the conference as a way to promote your business. If people remember that a conference venue had everything they needed for their comfort and enjoyment, they will be more likely to attach positive memories to it and take more away from it. However, people’s needs have to be met, or they might not be able to come to the conference in the first place.

These are some of the facilities that people might need in order to attend your conference:

  • Lifts and ramps. If people have accessibility requirements, they may need facilities that will allow them to get into the building. This might include ramps to get to the main entrance if it is up some steps, and lifts to get up to higher floors. There must also be access to the conference areas within the building, and space to accommodate wheelchair users. If there isn’t sufficient accessibility, disabled delegates won’t be able to attend.
  • Parking. You need to consider where people will be travelling from when attending your conference. You can find conference venues in Birmingham that have parking available quite easily, but make sure you know who would be driving and how much parking you will need. The other option is to tell people about public transport options, so they can get trains to the venue. This could be a realistic choice for people travelling to Birmingham as there are good transport links.
  • A place to stay. People who are travelling from further afield might need a place to stay in order to attend your conference. You could hold it in a hotel to allow people to stay there overnight. However, in a big city like Birmingham, there will usually be multiple hotel options nearby. Just check before you confirm your conference venue selection.

If possible, take care of people’s wants as well. This might include food, catering and a comfortable space to relax during and after the conference. People’s wants are not as important as people’s needs, as needs can prevent people attending. However, if you can cater for people’s wants, do. It will help leave people with a good impression.